sports

As the clock strikes 10 on a chilly January night in Atlanta, Travis Scott, the King of Rage, is preparing to unleash a performance that will take his career to new heights — literally. Scott has already notched a dizzying number of accomplishments for a modern hip-hop star: four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo rap act, the first rapper to sell out Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. But tonight, perched on the roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and not much more than 10 feet from its edge, he’s dreaming even bigger.

As his latest song, “4X4” — which became his fifth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 when it debuted atop the chart in early February — pulsates through the speakers, La Flame rubs his hands together before launching into the pretape of his halftime performance for the College Football Playoff National Championship. At the cue of video director Gibson Hazard, rap’s ultimate daredevil bounces around fearlessly, savoring the thrill and danger of the moment.

The 33-year-old native Houstonian, who was once a ball boy for the NBA’s Houston Rockets, has love for his hometown’s sports culture — and its accompanying theatrics — that runs as deep as his passion for its unique strain of Southern hip-hop. As a teen sitting in his grandfather’s kitchen, he watched the nail-biter 14-inning game-three battle between his beloved Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox in the 2005 World Series from his grandfather’s kitchen (the Astros lost that game, and the series in four). He recalls witnessing Rockets legend Tracy McGrady’s jaw-dropping 13 points in 33 seconds against the San Antonio Spurs in 2004. Scott’s own unyielding spirit for captivating audiences on the biggest stages was born in these historic sports moments. “I was a ball boy for the Rockets when T-Mac was about to leave [the team in the late 2000s] and he was kind of fizzling out,” Scott remembers as he scarfs down a Domino’s pizza slice the day after recording his fiery performance. “I always wanted him to win.”

While Scott may no longer be chasing rebounds inside Houston’s Toyota Center, his bond with sports is stronger than ever, fueled by his competitive streak and relentless drive to be as legendary as his superstar athlete friends Tom Brady and James Harden. “12 is one of my favorites,” Scott says, referencing Brady’s former jersey number. “I go to him when it comes to achieving the highest level of greatness. I have a couple of people I can name [when I need advice], but 12 is somebody I can turn to when it comes to that because time and time again, when it comes to having to go and get it, I’ve seen him do it.”

Over the last couple of years, Scott has mounted the type of high-stakes comeback that might make a Hall of Fame athlete take notice. In October 2021, a deadly crowd surge killed 10 people at his Astroworld Festival in Houston, throwing the decorated rapper’s career into jeopardy. After numerous lawsuits were filed against Scott, a grand jury declined to indict him on criminal charges; the families of the 10 victims reached settlements with him and Live Nation. But in 2023, as a dark cloud still loomed over him, Scott returned. His album Utopia, delivered that July, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with an impressive 496,000 album-equivalent units, according to Luminate, and landed 19 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. And the star-laden album featuring Beyoncé, Drake, SZA and The Weeknd wasn’t just a blockbuster hit — it catalyzed Scott’s post-Astroworld comeback.

That October, Scott launched his Circus Maximus Tour, an interactive spectacle where he let his imagination run free. He created an amusement park-like atmosphere where he invited fans onstage to get on actual rides (“Amusement parks, to me, are the illest things ever,” he says), and his fire-breathing performances showcased the same audacity that made him the poster child for rage rap when he first rose to fame in the mid-2010s.

It wasn’t just the biggest tour of Scott’s career: With $209.3 million grossed from 1.7 million tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore, the 76-date trek became the highest-selling outing ever by a solo rapper. Stateside, Scott played mostly arenas — save New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium and his history-making SoFi Stadium gig — but his overseas fan base propelled him to stadiums in South America, Oceania and Europe, where he performed massive shows in cities including London, Milan and Cologne, Germany, selling more than 71,000 tickets at the lattermost. Scott and his longtime manager, David Stromberg, say they want to conquer the Asian touring market next.

“It’s always a challenge to create a new chapter of what the live shows look like,” says Stromberg, who has worked with Scott for over 10 years. “We thought that the [2018-19] Astroworld Tour was our highest peak. We were in arenas and now we’re in stadiums.” In April, Scott — who was slated to headline Coachella in April 2020 before the pandemic forced the festival’s cancellation — will appear for a performance there billed as “designing the desert.” And, Stromberg says, “With Coachella coming up, we need to figure out a new chapter.”

While Scott’s disruptive spirit has propelled him to chart and touring glory, his savvy on the branding front has drawn attention from a variety of major companies. Brands such as Nike, McDonald’s, Audemars Piguet and Epic Games have launched significant partnerships with Cactus Jack, Scott’s label and lifestyle boutique. Athletes like Aaron Judge, Jayson Tatum and Jayden Daniels have sported Scott’s Nike sneaker line. And last July, Scott got the ultimate sports co-sign when Michael Jordan wore a pair of unreleased Travis Scott x Air Jordan sneakers to the beach. After watching Cactus Jack flourish, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin partnered with Scott, popular retro sports brand Mitchell & Ness and Lids to launch a merch line called Jack Goes Back to College featuring a range of college-themed apparel and accessories.

“Normally, someone will come to work with us, give feedback and we’ll do all the work,” Rubin says. “With Travis, it’s 100% driven by him, and that’s because he knows his fans and the market, and he has such a strong feel for what the market wants. [When we collaborated], he completely designed the products 100% on his own. He has such great vision and product skills that I’ve never seen before.

“I’ve seen so many people in this world, but the fandom and loyalty he has from his fans is truly extraordinary,” Rubin continues. “Someone could offer him a billion dollars, and if it’s not brand-right and he doesn’t feel it’s right for his customers, he will not do it. That’s why he’s so careful about everything that he does. He wants to make sure it’s the right product and the right vision. Travis may be the most authentic person I know. He’ll never sell out.”

Scott and Rubin ­promoted the Jack Goes Back to College line with a 36-hour college campus tour, making stops at Louisiana State University, the University of Southern California and the University of Texas, where they spoke to the schools’ athletic teams and even worked behind campus bookstore registers to sell their products. Throughout, Scott was everywhere — giving motivational speeches, showing up for an impromptu performance (at LSU local bar Friends) and joining football practice at UT, where he even helped with punt returns. And he’s eager to do all that again and more.

“When I was talking to Trav at the National Championship game [this year], he was like, ‘All right, what four schools are we doing next year? We’re out. We did three last year; we’re doing four next year,’ ” Rubin says.

His passion goes beyond the gridiron: Two decades after watching the Astros in the World Series, he’ll host current Astros players — and a slew of other current and former baseball and football greats, along with music stars like Metro Boomin, Teyana Taylor and Swae Lee — at the Cactus Jack Foundation’s HBCU Celebrity Softball Classic in Houston on Feb. 13.

Though Scott was largely consumed with touring and further building Cactus Jack over the past year, he returned his focus to music last August, when he released his acclaimed second mixtape, 2014’s Days Before Rodeo, to streaming platforms. Initially a free download — and a steppingstone in Scott’s career — the project bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 361,000 album-equivalent units, falling 1,000 units short of Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet. A month later, Days Before Rodeo rocketed to No. 1 after Scott offered vinyl editions of the project online, securing him the fourth No. 1 album of his career.

“When I was coming up, people always looked at me [strangely],” Scott says. “I don’t know. I’d always hear a little s–t of ‘Is it rap? Is it this? Is it just a vibe?’ I’m pushing hip-hop. It’s 50 years old but still has time to stretch. I feel like, ‘OK, I’m leading the new charge of what the next 50 years of this s–t is going to be like.’ ”

Like sports, music is ultracompetitive. How do you stay at the top of your game?

A lot of people say I’m at the top of my game all the time, but I’m still striving to get to that point. I could see it in spurts or moments like, “Oh, this is ill!” It’s like a full 360 universe I’m trying to connect, but I’m always inspired, and I think that’s what keeps me motivated — not just content. I’m always working toward the next thing. It’s not like in a bad way where you don’t sit and enjoy, but I always want to push the limits. I feel like there’s always been random lulls that come my way that try to suppress the sound, and I feel like I’ve always been trying to take one foot forward every day to break down those barriers.

I feel like you’re the Stephen Curry of rap because you revolutionized hip-hop and broke boundaries for the new generation, sort of like how Steph changed the game with the three-point shot. Can you see that?

Yeah. I probably wouldn’t have said it out loud or anything like that. I like to believe the things I’m doing are pushing music and where things can go. With Steph, he changed the game in a wild way. Whether it’s good or bad, everyone’s shooting from half-court and s–t, which is dope as f–k. It’s just revolutionizing the game and showing there’s no limits to what you can do as a player. Having the lines, literally, lines saying this is the limit and [saying], “Nah, f–k it. I’m shooting from [half-court]. I’m going to do what I have to do to get this W.” And not being content — you see, he works on his craft every day. I don’t think anyone’s ever going to catch [his] three-point record, and he’s still working on his craft. “How can I evolve? How can I get better as I’m getting older?” It’s dope.

You partnered with the WWE and escorted Jey Uso at L.A.’s Intuit Dome during Monday Night Raw on Netflix. What was that experience like?

The energy out there was crazy. I was telling [Superstar] Triple H, “This s–t is wild.” For my shows, I try to create that maximum energy level and have [the audience] feel like they could reach their highest level of ecstasy — the feeling of being happy and free. Not to sound so trippy, just see that enjoyment. When I’m performing, it’s the energy of what a hardcore match can be. [Popular WWE-style match] Money in the Bank — ladders, tables and chairs — anything. It’s like, “Ah, this s–t is ill.” I can’t wait for this year [to get in the ring]. I’m training to get ready for this. It’s going to be some dope s–t.

If you do get in the ring, who’s your first opponent?

I’m going to leave that under wraps right now. I’m a little bit more of a mystery. I might pop up and start tearing s–t up. I’m more of a “Let me get into that hardcore s–t [type of guy].” It’s heavy. [WWE Superstar] Mick Foley-type heavy. You never know where you about to go lay some smack on a motherf–ker. I might pop out and start some s–t.

How has your brand, Cactus Jack, become so dominant?

We try to be ourselves and be organic. I’m still a fan of fandom. [I have] that sort of understanding [that] it’s not just me — got my guys Don [Toliver], Sheck [Wes], Bizzle [Chase B]. You know, all of us who make it a whole family. Organically, just being us and creating those experiences, that’s what I love to do. Whether I’m collaborating with someone or working with someone and trying to push design, it goes hand in hand, [whether we’re] tailoring beats or tailoring clothes.

On your college tour, you visited three different campuses in 36 hours. What is it about the college energy that you enjoy the most?

When I was in college [at the University of Texas at San Antonio], it was lit, and it’s still lit. I feel like every kid should go to college whether you’re trying to do the books or not, just for the experience: the [socializing], community and just riding for something [is great]. School pride is amazing. You go to these games and see 100,000 people in the same color cheering loud for the people that’s repping. It’s just lit.

You’ve said you want to go to Harvard University and possibly study architecture. Is that still something you hope to pursue?

It’s crazy. The construction game is the most frustrating thing in the world. Me traveling, seeing modernism, different houses, structures and things, when you go to different countries and see how people create a structural design with literally nothing, people can put up structural places in shorter times than we do in the U.S. And even just creating things from scratch, the engineering and planning of things takes forever. I just got a true passion for it and I always want to create, so I need to learn this s–t. I’ve always wanted to learn just the engineering part and technical aspects of it. I can draw ideas and create 3D renderings all day, but how do I physically get this to work and put it together? It’s a tedious process.

You and Michael Rubin have a good relationship. How has he helped you push the Cactus Jack brand forward?

I watch how he runs a multibillion-dollar empire and try to be hands-on as much as possible. Just be active. The call-and-response. Get to it on an everyday basis. To be able to run something on that level, you have to go hard at it, through the good and the bad. You could have problems, but it’s how you respond — just trying to stay connected. You could be the higher-up, disconnected and have people run it for you. Try to be as hands-on as you can and as multifaceted as you can. I apply that to what I got going on.

How do you maintain high intensity and inspiration as you spread that energy into different areas, like music and ­merch?

It all goes hand in hand. Since day one, I’ve had that mindset. The key to it all is having a solid team and people understanding what you’re trying to achieve. They connect with you and have that same drive. Every day is a new day, but as you get through it, you learn so many things. I’ve been in this for a minute and think as we grow, we learn so much s–t. I try to stay firm on it. Remind people what we’re trying to work toward and this is what we have to achieve. It’s not easy. If I can be up early, we all can. Just having that discipline. I just got a good support system. [Without them], I’d be f–king drowning out here.

Your 7-year-old daughter Stormi’s favorite song is Days Before Rodeo’s “Mamacita.” How does it feel to see not only her but also younger fans appreciate your older work like that and your debut mixtape, 2013’s Owl Pharaoh?

I love it, man. F–k! I still listen to that album, too. It just reassures me that I’m not f–king crazy. This s–t hard. That’s how I know that Stormi’s turnt. Out of all the songs, that song’s turnt and she loves it. Her new favorite song is now “Thank God.” I don’t know if it’s because she’s on it. She didn’t know she was on it until she heard the album. She’s like, “That’s me!” She knows every word. It’s cool to see even the youth is tapped in on that level. It’s ill. It gives me a reason to wake up.

Your debut album, Rodeo, turns 10 this year. Do you have special memories from that era?

I do. I got a lot. Rodeo is lit. The only thing I wish from that album, and I probably should do for the 10-year anniversary, is that the action figure would come out on a USB and not a CD. That’s the main thing and it never happened. That album creation was everything for me: touring, working on the album and being at Mike Dean’s crib all day. Rest in peace, Meeboob [Dean’s late dog]. Man, we love that dog. It was lit, man.

What has been your own biggest championship moment in your career?

When I was walking through SoFi and had my little ones with me, they got on the stage. I remember my [3-year-old] son, [Aire] — he can talk — he was like, “Yo, who’s performing here?” My daughter was like, “Daddy!” My son was like, “All these people.” I’m like, “Yeah, it’s going to be kind of turnt.” He’s like, “For real?” Stormi’s like, “Yeah.” She’s like describing the show. There’s all this pyro and people are going crazy. I was like, “Yeah, this is tight.” I always wanted to do stadiums, and it was kind of cool to have the little ones understand and know what I’m doing. They were amped for the show. So that was lit.

How do you define greatness at this point in your career?

I think it’s the ability to wake up and still go hard at this. Still have the drive to go hard and not give up on what you set out to do from the beginning. That’s greatness for me. Achieving that level no matter how many times you could be shunned from a Grammy or whatever the f–k could happen. It’s waking up every day to be like, “There’s still somebody out there listening and somebody that cares.” Let’s go hard for that and yourself. I really care about that — it keeps me going.

You had your Super Bowl moment in 2019, performing with Maroon 5 at halftime, but that wasn’t a full-fledged Travis Scott production. Is that still on your bucket list?

Hell yeah, man. Yeah, tell the [NFL] to hit me up. They know who to call. Word.

Where are you heading musically on your next album?

I want to say the title right now, but people aren’t going to understand it. I have some more tweaking to do.

Fair. But where are you going sonically?

I feel like for Utopia, I was striving to push things to a high level. I’m still reaching for that. I’ve been having so much fun with music and s–t that I think it’s cool to be artistic and have fun with it. I’ve been producing more, making a lot of the album, and going in on that level is making it more exciting. I can’t wait, actually.

At this point in your career, is there anyone left that you want to get into the studio with?

Yeah, it’s this band called Khruangbin I want to work with. This might be crazy, but I would love to get Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter on a hook.

Why Taylor or Sabrina?

Because I have some ill ideas.

You and Carpenter were going head-to-head last year on the charts when her album beat Days Before Rodeo in its opening week.

Charts, shmarts, man. Who measures that? Her album’s cool. Days Before Rodeo is 10 years old. It all works.

With everything you’ve been through over the last few years to now having the biggest tour ever for a solo rap artist, do you feel vindicated that your fans still support you?

I love the fans and I’m appreciative, but I’m still striving to prove what I’m here to do, what I mean and what I stand for, especially when it comes to performing. To the fans, I feel like a lot of times, because I don’t do a lot of interviews or talk a lot, Travis Scott can be misunderstood. What I care for can get misunderstood. But every day, I’m going to strive to show that greatness.

This story appears in the Feb. 8, 2025, issue of Billboard.